Publishers Weekly
06/24/2019
Sociologist Zuckerman (Society Without God) presents a prodigiously well-supported argument against religion in this meticulous but narrow work. Zuckerman concedes that people of faith do much good in the world, but they can also do bad, specifically the “more dogmatic fundamentalists” whose regressive politics are oppressive and hypocritical. Moving the aim implied by his subtitle, he claims that “it is theism, rather than religion... that comprises the true target of this book.” Theism, in his argument, is inherently not loving and compassionate, since God’s creations include as much misery as joy—he cites smallpox, which has killed 300 million people throughout history, as a primary example. He concludes that basing morality upon such a cruel deity makes morality arbitrary. Zuckerman lines up all the arguments against belief from the well-known Socratic dialogue, through the Enlightenment philosophers, and into the modern era. After exploring the history of religious skepticism and atheism, he presents seven “secular virtues”—freethinking, living in reality, “here-and-nowness,” empathy, cosmopolitanism, acceptance of existential mystery, and scientific empiricism—and explores how they can form the secular solution to immorality. Unfortunately, Zuckerman never seriously grapples with the allure or longevity of religious traditions, which limits the scope of his argument. While this is a comprehensive introduction to religious skepticism, Zuckerman’s conclusions will likely only convince fellow secularists. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for What It Means to Be Moral
“A thoughtful perspective on humans' capacity for moral behavior.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Sociologist Zuckerman (Society Without God) presents a prodigiously well–supported argument against religion . . . A comprehensive introduction to religious skepticism.” —Publishers Weekly
“Zuckerman draws on research to show why and how secular morality works . . . [A] first–resort work on its subject.” —Booklist
“Most of us nonbelievers know morality when we see it, but that’s no help when yet another devout friend or family member asks, 'How can anyone know what’s good—let alone do it—without God?' Phil Zuckerman’s surprisingly entertaining new book, on the other hand, is a huge help. Zuckerman doesn’t just explain how and why secular morality works; he makes a powerful case that it works better than any and every religious code and is uniquely suited to help us solve the world’s biggest problems. Here’s your chance to stand tall and answer the naysayers, once and for all, literally for goodness’ sake.” —Bart Campolo, coauthor of Why I Left, Why I Stayed
“Clear, compassionate, and concise . . . Zuckerman’s book serves as a valuable tool and source of inspiration and guidance in creating a world based on humanist ethics, not religious dogma.” —Becky Garrison, The Humanist
“You’re going to want to read this one. It’s a thoughtful and thorough analysis of a subject that is usually dealt with in sound bites.” —Hemant Mehta, Friendly Atheist
“As humanity moves forward, using science and reason to better understand the universe, many people nevertheless reflexively assume that ancient religions are needed for ethical living. Phil Zuckerman dismantles those assumptions brilliantly in What It Means to Be Moral, demonstrating that morality is perfectly consistent with secularity, that hope for a better world need not be reliant on outdated theology.” —David Niose, author of Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans
“In this brilliant, provocative, and timely book, Phil Zuckerman breaks down the myth that our morality comes from religion—compellingly making the case that when it comes to the biggest challenges we face today, a secular approach is the only truly moral one.” —Ali A. Rizvi, author of The Atheist Muslim
“Phil Zuckerman skewers the sacred cows of religious infallibility and God–based morality with biting wit and alacrity. He provides engaging historical, philosophical, social, and personal examples to bolster his argument that relying upon theistic interpretations of morality and ethics amounts to 'moral outsourcing.' Taking aim at the highly subjective, crazy–quilt nature of religious moralism, Zuckerman convincingly refutes the so–called universal truisms, values, and codes imposed on mere mortals by omnipotent deities. In so doing, he provides a solid case for humanistic morality as an antidote to the blind dogma and bigotry fueling the United States’ increasingly polarizing political climate.” —Sikivu Hutchinson, author of White Nights, Black Paradise
“In this book, Phil Zuckerman provides an important argument for and examples of moral living without God. His depiction of secular morality offers readers a view into the meaning and depth of human encounter in and with the world. There is no anger or dismissiveness in his narrative—simply insights, sharp and compelling. I highly recommend this book.” —Anthony B. Pinn, author of Humanism and the Challenge of Difference
Kirkus Reviews
2019-06-09
Why secular humanism, rather than religious dogmatism, can best foster morality.
Expanding on the argument he has put forth in previous books, Zuckerman (Sociology/Pitzer Coll.; The Nonreligious: Understanding Secular People and Societies, 2016, etc.) asserts that morality based on obedience to God "limits our capacity for empathy and compassion, stymies our ability to take responsibility for our choices and actions, obfuscates the naturally evolved sources of ethical conduct, and ultimately thwarts moral progress" in "confronting the dire problems of the day." Those problems include racism, misogyny, global warming, child abuse, and economic equality, which, according to the author, must be addressed through "empathy-driven" secular humanism, not by "following rules written down thousands of years ago" that originated from "a magical deity." As many have stated before, "prayers will not end gun violence; only rational, human-enforced policies will do that." Although Zuckerman concedes that not all religious people base their ethical decisions solely on God's teachings, he criticizes dogmatic fundamentalists, for whom faith is the mainstay of their lives, as abdicating moral responsibility to assess and act on ethical issues. Yet, admitting that faith in God can offer believers comfort, support, and help in coping with personal trauma, the author does not argue convincingly why religion itself is antithetical to moral behavior rather than a factor of "our sentiments, our feelings, our needs, our opinions, our values, our judgements, our goals, our consciences, our culture, our society" that combine "to manifest as our human-based, socially constructed morality." Zuckerman is on stronger ground in his analysis of the biological, social, and psychological roots of humans' "inherent proclivity for empathy and fairness," considering cultural relativism and tracing the history of moral behavior to its current iteration that focuses on preventing, easing, or relieving suffering; offering help to the needy; comforting the vulnerable; working to increase health, happiness, well-being, fairness, and justice; and being compassionate, altruistic, and caring. These behaviors are well supported, he asserts, by secular attitudes that include freethinking—including familiarity with various religions—scientific empiricism, and cosmopolitanism.
A thoughtful perspective on humans' capacity for moral behavior.
